Patent Application
20160316864
The invention concerns the fields of lapidary work and jewelry and in particular articles of lapidary work and/or of jewelry, comprising accessories such as pendants, or accessories forming parts of a bracelet or necklace, or for instance accessories for an article of in particular leatherwork.
Such articles of jewelry may be produced from precious or non-precious metals and comprise one or more ornamental parts formed from precious or non-precious stones, or even from pieces of precious or non-precious metal.
The invention also concerns such accessories for articles of lapidary work and/or of jewelry as well as a method of manufacturing such accessories.
An article of lapidary work and/or of jewelry is known from European patent application 2 617 314 that comprises a first panel, formed by a plurality of individual pieces which are distinct from each other, and a second panel also formed from a plurality of individual pieces which are distinct from each other. The first panel and the second panel are disposed facing each other.
Each individual piece of the first panel is provided with several first linking parts formed by pins. Each individual piece of the second panel is provided with several recesses which are configured for each to receive a free end of one of the pins; so as to rigidly assemble together each individual piece of the first panel and an individual piece of the second panel situated in facing relationship.
The article further comprises a plurality of second linking parts which are each formed by a frame having at least two eyes configured for each to surround a respective pin; so as to assemble together individual pieces of the first panel while maintaining a certain degree of freedom between those pieces.
The article described in European patent application 2 617 314 for example has the aspect of a crocodile skin and for that, the pins come flush with the outside surface of the second panel and the frames are provided with arms and several eyes, which eyes define circular openings of diameter similar to that of the cross-section of the pins; which makes it possible to provide a relative flexibility between the individual pieces of the first and second panels of the article, while maintaining a particularly small and substantially constant separation between those pieces. In other words, no longitudinal play is created and movement in translation of the pins in the frames or in the eyes is thus not permitted.
There is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,055 a watch provided with a bracelet having a plurality of upper individual pieces and a plurality of lower individual pieces disposed facing the upper individual pieces.
The upper individual pieces are each provided with first linking parts formed by pillars whereas the lower individual pieces are each provided with cut-outs in which are soldered the ends of the pillars, which are flush with the outside surface of the lower individual pieces.
This bracelet furthermore has second linking parts formed by mesh links interposed between the lower and upper individual pieces. The mesh links are each of rectangular shape having a central opening sufficiently long to receive two pillars. These mesh links are furthermore configured to create longitudinal play in that opening for the movement of the two pillars in that central opening.
The invention is directed to providing an article of lapidary work and/or of jewelry and an accessory for such an article, of a rather similar kind, which are particularly simple and convenient to manufacture; as well as a method of manufacturing such an accessory, which is also particularly simple, convenient and economical to implement.
According to a first aspect, the invention thus relates to an article of jewelry and/or of lapidary work comprising at least one accessory having at least one first individual piece, at least one second individual piece disposed facing said at least one first individual piece, and a plurality of first linking parts which are configured to assemble rigidly together said at least one first individual piece and at least one second individual piece which are in facing relationship; said accessory being characterized in that it further comprises at least one ornamental part disposed on said at least one second individual piece, which is thus interposed between said at least one ornamental part and said at least one first individual piece, and said accessory is configured such that at least two said first linking parts make it possible to mechanically fasten and hold in position said at least one ornamental part on said at least one second individual piece.
The first linking parts of the article of jewelry and/or of lapidary work according to the invention enable the mounting of an ornamental part, formed for example by a precious stone or a piece of precious metal, in a particularly simple and convenient manner, while being secure.
These first linking parts thus serve both for the rigid assembly together of the first and second individual pieces and for the mechanical fastening of the ornamental part on the second individual piece.
By mechanical fastening, it is understood here that this ornamental part is firmly attached to the second individual piece and that it cannot detach therefrom by itself, that is to say without being acted upon.
For the manufacture of the article of jewelry and/or of lapidary work according to the invention, by virtue of the configuration of its accessory, no operation of soldering is for example necessary for the mechanical fastening and the holding in position of such an ornamental part; which may for example be easily crimped onto the second individual piece.
According to preferred features of the article according to the invention which are particularly simple, convenient and economical:
According to a second aspect, the invention also relates to an accessory for an article of jewelry and/or lapidary work as described above and which is in accordance with the invention. This accessory comprises a plurality of first individual pieces, a plurality of second individual pieces, a plurality of first linking parts, each said first individual piece is disposed facing a said second individual piece and is rigidly assembled thereto by said first linking parts to form a pair, and a plurality of second linking parts which are each configured to join at least two said pairs such that the two said pairs are movable relative to each other in terms of translation and rotation; said accessory further comprising a plurality of ornamental parts disposed on said second individual pieces, which are then each interposed between a said ornamental part and a said first individual piece, and said accessory is configured such that said first linking parts make it possible to mechanically fasten and hold in position said ornamental parts on said second individual pieces.
According to a third aspect, the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an accessory such as described above which is in accordance with the invention. This method comprises the following steps:
According to a feature of the method that is particularly simple, convenient and economical, said step of mechanically fastening said ornamental parts on said second individual pieces is carried out by clamping.
The disclosure of the invention will now be continued with the description of embodiments, given below by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
This accessory 1 is formed here from precious and non-precious metals and also from precious stones.
The accessory 1 comprises a first face 2, also designated lower face, as well as a second face 3, also designated upper face, which is an opposite face to the first face 2 and across from the latter.
The first face 2 is formed here from a plurality of first individual pieces 4 whereas the second face 3 is formed from a plurality of second individual pieces 5 and from a plurality of ornamental parts 6 each disposed and crimped onto a second individual piece 5.
Each first individual piece 4 is disposed facing a respective second individual piece 5, the latter being thus interposed between the respective ornamental part 6 and the respective first individual piece 4.
The first and second individual pieces 4 and 5 are each formed from a metallic material, for example from gold, or even from platinum, or for instance from silver; whereas each ornamental part 6 is formed here from a precious stone, for example a diamond.
The first and second individual pieces 4 and 5 are all here of similar shape, substantially round, that is to say with a circular or at least partially circular outside contour.
Furthermore, the first and second individual pieces 4 and 5 are annular and each ornamental part 6 is at least partially fitted into a respective second individual piece 5.
The accessory 1 here extends longitudinally between a first free end 7 and a second end 8 by which the accessory 1 is configured to be mechanically fastened for example by an attachment interface of a necklace (not shown), or of a bracelet or for instance of an earring.
With reference to
In particular, each first individual piece 4 is adjacent here to at least two other first individual pieces 4, and is provided with four first linking parts 10.
Each first individual piece 4 has a first body 15 having an inside face 16, an outside face 17 which is an opposite face to the inside face 16 and a circular periphery 20 joining the inside and outside faces 16 and 17.
The first body 15 is annular and has a central hole 18.
The outside face 17 is at least partially curved whereas the inside face 16 is substantially planar here.
Each first linking part is formed by a pillar 10 which projects from the inside face 16 of the first body 15 and extends to a deformable free end 13.
The pillars 10 are here regularly distributed over the inside face 16 of the first body 15, face each other pairwise, and define a cavity 19.
Each pillar 10 comprises a circular base 14 extending from the inside face 16 of the first body 15 and a semi-circular rod 12 extending from the base 14 to the free end 13.
The base 14 has a first cross-section and the rod 12 has a second cross-section different from the first cross-section.
Each rod 12 is provided with a bearing face 21 turned towards the cavity 19 and which is for example formed by a flat.
It will be noted that the pillars 10 here make it possible not only to rigidly assemble pairs of individual pieces 4 and 5 but also to mechanically fasten and hold in position the ornamental parts 6 on the second individual pieces 5 (see below).
The accessory 1 is furthermore formed by second individual pieces 5 disposed relative to each other in the same predetermined pattern.
Each second individual piece 5 is adjacent here to at least two other second individual pieces 5.
Each second individual piece 5 has a second body 22 having an inside face 23, an outside face 24 which is an opposite face to the inside face 23, a circular periphery 25 joining the inside and outside faces 23 and 24, as well as a plurality of through-apertures 26.
In particular, each second individual piece 5 is provided with four through-apertures 26, that is to say which are each open at both the outside face 24 and the inside face 23.
The second body 22 is annular and has a central hole 27 defined by an inside wall 28.
The inside face 23 is substantially planar here whereas the outside face 24 is inclined or in the form of a chamfer and extends between a first arris 29 at the junction with the outside face 24 and a second arris 30 at the junction with the inside wall 28.
The four apertures 26 are circular or semi-circular here and regularly distributed in the second body 22. Preferably, the apertures 26 have an opening that is complementary to the cross-section of the rods 12.
Each aperture 26 is configured to be passed through by a respective pillar 10 of the first individual piece 4, with its respective free end 13 extending beyond the second body 22.
Here, the four apertures 26 of each second individual piece 5 are configured to receive the four pillars 10 of the first individual piece 4 which is situated in facing relationship and with which that second individual piece 5 forms a pair.
The first linking parts 10 of each first individual piece 4 are thus configured to rigidly assemble a pair of individual pieces composed of the respective first individual piece 4 and of the second individual piece 5 which is situated in facing relationship.
The accessory 1 is also formed by a plurality of second linking parts 11 which are each configured to be at least partially sandwiched between at least two pairs of individual pieces 4 and 5.
In other words, each second linking part 11 is configured to be interposed, in whole or only in part, between at least two first individual pieces 4 and at least two second individual pieces 5 which are in facing relationship.
The arrangement of the plurality of second linking parts 11 depends on the predetermined pattern in which the first and second individual pieces 4 and 5 are arranged.
Each second linking part is formed by a frame 11 with a contour closed by four arms 32 each having a cross-section which is at least partially circular.
Each frame 11 thus has a central opening 31 delimited by an inside wall 33.
Each frame 11 is substantially rectangular here, or even square.
Each frame 11 is configured to receive in its central opening 31 one of the four pillars 10 of at least two adjacent first individual pieces 4, i.e. at least two pillars 10.
More generally, each frame 11 is dimensioned in order for four pillars respectively of four adjacent first individual pieces 4 to be received in its central opening 31.
Each frame 11 is thus configured to join at least two pairs of individual pieces 4 and 5, preferably four pairs, such that the assembled pairs are movable relative to each other in terms of translation and rotation.
The accessory 1 is furthermore formed by a plurality of ornamental parts 6, which are also arranged according to the predetermined pattern since, here, each second individual piece 5 bears an ornamental part 6.
It will be noted that in the accessory 1, the jewelry and/or lapidary work aspect is provided both by the pairs of individual pieces 4 and 5 and by the ornamental parts 6.
Each ornamental part 6 generally has a frusto-conical shape of which the base, which forms an upper visible face 34, is generally curved by the formation on the latter of multiple facets (not shown). The upper end 35 of this upper visible face 34 may be planar.
Each ornamental part 6 is configured to be placed on a second individual piece 5, while being at least partially inserted into the central hole 27, and resting at several points by its frusto-conical face or faces over at least one of the first and second arrisses 29 and 30 of the second body 22.
A description will now be made, with reference to
The method comprises the step of providing a plurality of first individual pieces 4 as described above, and the step of disposing them in adjacent manner in a predetermined pattern.
The method comprises the step of providing a plurality of frames 11 as described above and of positioning them on the first individual pieces 4.
Each frame 11 is mounted here on the inside face 16 of four adjacent first bodies 15 (arranged in a square), with a pillar 10 of each first body 15 being inserted into the central opening 31 of the frame 11.
It will be noted that the inside wall 33 of the frame 11 partially surrounds the circular base 14 of each pillar 10 which is trapped and may come into contact with those bases 14 when the first individual pieces 4 are the maximum apart from each other.
Each frame 11 is thus situated partially housed in the four cavities 19 defined by the pillars 10 of the four first individual pieces 4 which that frame 11 assembles.
These frames 11 are mounted on the first individual pieces 4 to assemble them such that they are movable relative to each other in terms of translation and rotation.
The method comprises the step of providing a plurality of second individual pieces 5 such as described above, and the step of positioning each of them on a facing first individual piece 4; so as to form a respective pair of individual pieces.
The inside faces 23 of the second bodies 22 of the second individual pieces 5 are disposed facing the inside faces 16 of the first bodies 15 of the first individual pieces 4.
The four rods 12 of the pillars 10 of each first individual piece 4 pass through the four respective apertures 26 formed in each second individual piece 5 which is situated in facing relationship, with the deformable free ends 13 each extending beyond the second body 22 of the second individual piece 5.
The second body 22 of each second individual piece 5 comes to rest on a shoulder of the circular base 14 of the respective pillars 10, from which shoulder extends the respective rod 12.
Each second individual piece 5 is thus assembled with an insertion fit on a first individual piece 4 to form a pair.
The method comprises the step of providing a plurality of ornamental parts 6 as described above, and the step of disposing them on the second individual pieces 5; which are then each interposed between an ornamental part 6 and a first individual piece 4.
Each ornamental part 6 is configured to be placed on a second individual piece 5, while being at least partially inserted into the central hole 27 of the latter, and resting at several points by its frusto-conical face or faces over at least one of the first and second arrisses 29 and 30 of the second body 22.
The frusto-conical end 36 of the ornamental part 6 is located substantially housed in the cavity 19 defined by the pillars 10.
The bearing faces 21 of the rods 12 of the pillars 10 are thus turned towards and preferably are in contact with the ornamental part 6.
The method comprises the step of mechanically fastening by crimping each ornamental part 6 on the respective second individual piece 5, by crushing and deformation of the deformable free ends 13 of the pillars 10 which surround that ornamental part 6.
This crimping step thus makes it possible to hold each ornamental part 6 in position on the respective second individual piece 5, but also to rigidly assemble each pair of individual pieces by virtue of the deformation of the deformable free ends 13 of the pillars 10 which can therefore no longer be extracted from the apertures. As regards the frames 11, these are trapped between the pairs of individual pieces.
It will be noted that the pillars 10 enable the mounting of the ornamental part 6 particularly simply and conveniently, while being secure.
These pillars 10 thus serve both for the rigid assembly together of the first and second individual pieces 4 and 5 and for the mechanical fastening of the ornamental part 6 on the second individual piece 5.
By mechanical fastening, it is understood here that this ornamental part 6 is firmly attached to the second individual piece 5 and that it cannot detach therefrom by itself, that is to say without being acted upon.
Thanks to the configuration of the accessory 1 described above, no soldering operation is for example necessary for the mechanical fastening and the holding in position of the ornamental part 6.
The linking of the pairs of individual pieces together by the frames 11 enable suppleness to be provided to the accessory 1 by enabling the pairs of individual pieces directly linked to each other (i.e. that are adjacent) to be movable relative to each other in terms of rotation and translation. This mobility is provided thanks to the rectangular and annular shape of the frames 11, which creates play between each adjacent pair.
It will be noted that the accessory 1 may here be mechanically fastened to the body of a necklace by a fastening interface, also called fastener (not shown), which is configured to be engaged with the two frames disposed at the second end 8 of that accessory 1, and which are visible in
As a variant, this accessory may be mechanically fastened to the body of an earring in the same way as that indicated above.
In still another variant, this accessory may comprise a clasp mechanically fastened to at least one frame disposed at the second end of that accessory, or that clasp may replace that frame, and the accessory may, the case arising, comprise at its first end, a complementary device to the clasp, mechanically fastened to at least one frame of that first end or replacing it, and be configured to cooperate with the clasp to form a bracelet.
In still another variant, this accessory may comprise a fastener device, of the clasp type, mechanically fastened to at least one frame disposed at the second end of that accessory, or replacing that frame; which fastener device may be configured to be mounted, for example removably, that is to say to hook and/or unhook, onto a ring of a some form of support.
Generally, the same reference numbers have been used for similar parts, but with the number 100 added.
The accessory 101 illustrated in
The first individual piece 104 is identical to the first individual piece 4 described above, the second individual piece 105 identical to the second individual piece 5 described above, and the pair of individual pieces 104 and 105 is assembled by virtue of pillars 110 similar to the pillars 10 described above.
The accessory 101 further comprises a single ornamental part 106 similar to the ornamental part 6 described above and crimped onto the second individual piece 105 by crushing of the deformable free end 113 of the four pillars 110.
Generally, for similar parts the same reference numbers have been used as those used for the accessory 1, but with the number 200 added.
The accessory illustrated in
Here, the first and second individual pieces 204 and 205 are arranged in staggered arrangements, each arrangement thus having four lateral pairs of individual pieces 204 and 205 and a central pair of individual pieces 204 and 205.
The individual pieces 204 and 205 of each of these pairs are assembled to each other in the way described above, by virtue of pillars 210 of which the free ends 213 are crushed to crimp the ornamental parts 206 and to rigidly assemble together those individual parts 204 and 205.
Each frame 211 here receives in its central opening 231 four pillars 210, of which there are two pillars 210 which belong to a first individual piece 204 referred to as central, another pillar 210 which belongs to a first individual piece 204 referred to as lateral and still another pillar 210 which belongs to another first individual piece 204 also referred to a lateral.
Generally, for similar parts the same reference numbers have been used as those used for the accessory 1, but with the number 300 added.
The accessory 301 illustrated in
The pairs of individual pieces 304 and 305 are assembled together in the way described above with reference to the pairs of individual pieces 4 and 5.
The first individual pieces 304 differ from the first individual pieces 4 in that they are furthermore each provided with four protuberances 350 extending from the outside face 317 of the first body 315, to a deformable free end 351.
Thus, an ornamental part 306 is mounted on each second individual piece 305, as described earlier, and an ornamental part 306 is also mounted on each first individual piece 304, adjacent its outside face 317.
The mechanical fastening of the ornamental parts 306 on the respective individual pieces 304 and 305 is made by crimping, that is to say by crushing the free ends 313 and 351, respectively of the pillars 310 and of the protuberances 350.
In a variant not illustrated, the accessory may comprise first individual pieces having pillars projecting both from those inside and outside faces, and second individual pieces disposed on respective opposite sides of the first individual pieces, that is to say facing each of the inside and outside faces of the first individual pieces. According to requirement, an ornamental part may be crimped on each of the two second individual pieces disposed on respective opposite sides of a first individual piece, by crushing of the respective deformable free ends, which are opposite.
In other variants not illustrated:
It should be noted more generally that the invention is not limited to the examples described and represented.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1553936 | Apr 2015 | FR | national |
